Day 204

Before you comment or read what I have posted, please read the following passages for yourself and complete your own S.O.A.P. exercise… How does this work?

S.O.A.P = Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer

S cripture

2 Kings 20:5, “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life.”

Isaiah 38 and 39 are essentially the same text as 2 Kings 20, recounting Hezekiah’s illness and God’s response.

Psalm 75:6-7, “No one from the east or the west or from the desert can exalt themselves. 7 It is God who judges: He brings one down, he exalts another.”

25 “For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”

O bservation

Hezekiah’s story may be one of the most noted in all the bible… it’s in 2 Chronicles, 2 Kings and Isaiah.

A pplication

Peter, quoting from Isaiah 53, “we all like sheep have gone astray.”

I wonder what it must be like for God… Keeping an eye on seven BILLION people?

The world’s population reached one billion people for the first time in 1804. It then took 123 years to reach two billion. Then, only 33 years to reach three billion. Now we add a billion people every 12-15 years!

Doesn’t that seem like a lot of folks to keep track of? All their needs, prayers… and knowing the number of hairs on every person’s head?

This is our God.

I guess if One can create the universe, keeping track of a few billion people isn’t such a big deal.

And what about all those stars out in space? How about this for a big number?

And God placed them all there. Or somehow started a chain reaction that continues to this day, expanding our universe moment by moment.

But I digress.

In John 1 it states that, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.”

Hebrews 11 builds on this theme with, “By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”

Jesus was integral to creation. He was there.

Then, he spoke of an intimate God and Father who cares for the sparrows. Not one is forgotten by God. On top of that, he knows the number of hairs on our head?? How is that even possible??

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3 thoughts on “Day 204”

For some reason, reading about Hezekiah the last few days, it feels like the first time I’ve heard this(it’s not) – like a veil has been lifted. The hope that flows from knowing that God can change it all, just by me asking, crying out to him – amazing.

Lord, thank you for the assurance that YOU have it all in control, that you hear my cries, that you love me. I know that regardless of what I’ve faced today or what I think I’ll face tomorrow, you can change it instantly. While I’m sleeping, crying, working, praying or anything. You make every day new!

After the service at my church yesterday, I received a mesaage from God thru one of the ladies there. And this message today echo’s what she said. It just blows my mind that out of 7 million people He, the great I AM, the god of all creation is mindful of me.
Thank You God for Your tender loving care. I am Yours!

Today, Hezekiah gets a second chance on life. Sadly, he gave up everything in the treasuries by showing off what “he” had to the Babylonians. I wonder if it would have made a difference if he would have said that God blessed them with everything and won wars for them, protecting them against all odds. His response, “Oh well. At least it won’t happen in my lifetime. This was the king who was highly favored by God just two chapters before in Kings.

No matter how close I get to God, it’s always possible to fall away. Note to self: never become too presumptuous or self righteous. Give credit where credit is due.

Thank you for all that you have provided. Thank you for my daily bread.